Although he is one of only three freshmen to start regularly at Pitt under coach Jamie Dixon, center Khem Birch has decided to leave the program.

A 6-9, 220-pound native of Montreal, Birch apparently began seriously considering leaving the team Thursday and made his decision final Friday.

"Khem has decided to leave the team for personal reasons," Dixon said. "We thank Khem for his contribution to our program over the last semester and wish him great success in the future."

A McDonald's All-American last season, Birch played minimally in two of Pitt's first three games, including just four minutes of the team's only loss, against Long Beach State. When starter Dante Taylor missed time because of migraines, Birch entered the starting lineup for the Panthers six games ago, in a visit to Penn, and contributed 15 points and 10 rebounds in 28 minutes of a 78-58 victory.

Birch since has continued to start and played in the 15-minute range. He made several key plays in a victory at Tennessee.

But a source close to Birch told Sporting News on Friday that the player was skeptical about attending Pitt after the coach who recruited him, Pat Skerry, became head coach at Towson. In early December, Birch told Sporting News, "It’s hard because I don’t get a lot of minutes like I did back in high school, but I’m adjusting ... Coach Dixon knows what he's doing."

Several former Panthers players, including guard Jermaine Dixon, issued comments on Twitter suggesting Birch arrived with a sense of entitlement.

"If he think some just going be giving to him cause of who he is than he went to wrong school.....not going happen under Coach Dixon."